Propeller for vessels.



PATBNTBD JUNE 16, 190s.

B. GHARLBS. PROPBLLBR POR VEssBLs.

APPLICATION FILED DEO. a, 1902'.

No MODEL.-

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No.. 731,020. PATENTED JUNE 16, 19.03, B. CHARLES;

PROPELLER FOR VESSELS.

APPLICATION FILED DEO. 8, 1.902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED STATES Patented .Tune 16, 1903.

BERNT CHARLES, or NEWARK, NEw JERSEY.

PROPELLER FOR VESSELS.

bPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 731,020, dated June 16,1903.

Application filed December 8,1902. Serial No. 134,243. (No model.)

To all whom, t mln/y concern.-

Be it known that I, BERNT CHARLES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, haveinvented and produced a new and original Improvement in Propellers forVesse'ls; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains, to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to numerals of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The objects of this invention are to secure for vessels having bothsails and steam-power a propeller which will offer little obstruction toprogress of the boat when idle; to provide for this purpose aconstruction enabling` the propeller-blades to be readily foldedtogether or outspread in radial position, as desired; to providesuitable means for doing this, and to obtain other advantages andresults, some of;

which will -be hereinafter Vreferred to in connection with thedescription of the working parts.

The invention consists in the improved propeller for vessels and in thearrangements and combinations of parts of the same, all substantially aswill be hereinafter set forth, and

vfinally embraced in the clauses of the claim.

Referring' to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals ofreference indicate corresponding parts in. each of the several figures,Figure 1 is a view of my improved device, in side elevation, with thepropellerblades outspread; and Fig. 2 a central longitudinal section ofthe same with the propel- 1er-blades collapsed. Fig. 3 is an end view ofthe shifting means looking' toward the stern of the vessel; and Fig. 4lis Aview of the opposite end, as on line fr, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a sternview of the propeller.; and Fig. 6 is a central longitudinal view of theentire device, similar to that shown in Fig.2, except that thepropeller-blades are extended.

In said drawings, 2 indicates a portion of the hull of a vessel, and 3is the usual tailblock, extending therethrough and providing a bushingor bearing for the propeller-shaft. Said tail-block, as common, has astuffing-box 4.- at its inner end, an adjacent annular fia-nge 5,adapted to lie against the innerwall of the vessel, and an outer nut 6to clamp the tailblock in place against the outer Wall of the vessel.

The propeller-shaft 7 is for that portion of itself which extendsthrough the tail-block provided with a sleeve 8, slidable therein andupon the shaft to which it is keyed, as at 9 9. The outer end of saidsleeve S is provided with annular ribs or threads l0 on its outersurface adapted to engage segmental gears formed by teeth ll on theinner ends of the propeller-arms l2. Said propeller-arms present attheir outer ends blades 13, of any usual type, and are preferably fourin number. Theirvinner ends are flattened, as at l4,.and adapted to bepivoted in slots 15, formed longitudinally in a hub 16, made fast on theouter end of the propeller-shaft 7, as by a longitudinal key 17 and across-key 1S. Thus as the propeller-shaft is rotated, with the said arms12 in normal outstanding positions at right angles to the shaft, thesaid sleeve 8 and propeller-arms 12 rotate with it 'to drive the vessel,as usual; but in case the propeller is not needed to drive the vessel,as Whenshe isunder sail, and it is desired to eliminate the obstructingeect of the outspread propeller-arms, the sleeve S is slidlongitudinally inward upon the shaft 7, thus swinging the arms into arearwardly-extend ing horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 2. Vhen thuscollapsed or folded about the hub 16, it is obvious that they oder butlittle or no obstruction to forward motion of the vessel. The sliding ofsaid sleeve S to close and open the propeller-arms may be effected byany suitable means adapted to thepurpose; but I prefer to use, and haveshown in the drawings for this purpose, the specific means nextdescribed.

Upon the propeller-shaft 7, beyond the inner end of the sleeve 8is fixedthe threaded,

collar 19, adapted to be inclosed and engaged by an elongated nut 20,having a wrench-receiving end 2l farthest from the sleeve S. The end ofsaid nut 20 next the sleeve S is adapted to receive a flange or head 22thereon and has an interior annular stop 23 to abut against the saine.At the opposite side of said head a ring 24 is inserted in the hollownut and held by set-screws 25. Thus as the hollow nut 2O is turned Withreference to the shaft 7 the sleeve 8, connected at its headed end tosaid nut, is correspondingly moved. V

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is l. ln apropeller, the combination of a shaft, a hub fast upon the outer end ofsaid shaft and being Centrally recessed at its inner end, propeller-armspivoted in longitudinal slots in the walls of said hub and projeotinginto the recessed end thereof, and a sleeve slidable upon the shaft andhaving its outer end projecting into the said recessed end of the hubinto engagement with the propeller-arms.

2. In a propeller, the combination of a shaft, a hub fast upon the outerend of said shaft and being centrally recessed at its inner end andhaving in the Walls of said recessed portion longitudinalV slots,propellerblades pivoted in said slots and forming segmental gears attheir inner ends projecting radially into the recess of the hub, aslidable sleeve upon said shaft having its outer end Y lying in saidrecessed end of the hub and being annularly toothed and engaging thesaid propeller-arms, and means for sliding said sleeve.

venoso 3. The 'combination With a propeller-shaft,

propeller-arms pivoted thereon, and a sleeve slidable on said shaft andengaging at one end the said arms, of means for sliding` said sleeve,comprising an eXteriorly-threaded collar on the shaft beyond the innerend of the said sleeve, a nut Working on said collar, and meansconnecting said nut to the sleeve.

4. The combination with a propellerA shaft, propeller-arms pivotedthereon, and a sleeve slidable on said shaft and engaging at one end thesaid arms, of means for sliding said sleeve, comprising' aneXteriorly-threaded lcollar on the shaft beyond the inner end of thesleeve, and having a tubular extension adapted to receive the end of thesleeve, a head on said sleeve end, an integral interior stop on the saidtubular extension, and a removable ring inserted in the end of said eX-tension to prevent Withdrawal of the sleevehead.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this6th day of December, 1902.

BERNT CHARL 1S.

Titnesses C. B. PITNEY, RUSSELL M. EvERET'r.

